An earth working machine can be equipped with a blade that is selectively lowered into a ground surface to scrape away material and thereby shape a surface contour. For example, a motor grader can include a moldboard located at an underbelly position, between a front wheel and a rear wheel. Any number of hydraulic actuators can be connected to the moldboard and selectively pressurized to raise, lower, rotate, twist, and/or tilt the moldboard to thereby affect a location, angle, and depth of the resulting cut. In some embodiments, the movements of the moldboard may be automated, for example based on an actual ground contour, a planned ground contour, and/or a measured blade position. In another example, a dozer can include a dozing blade located at a leading end, forward of a front wheel. Like the moldboard, any number of hydraulic actuators can be connected to the dozing blade and selectively pressurized to raise, lower, rotate, twist, and/or tilt the dozing blade.
Some earth working machines can be simultaneously equipped with multiple different blades. U.S. Pat. No. 7,841,423 that issued to Damm et al. on Nov. 30, 2010 (“the '423 patent”) discloses such a machine. In particular, the '423 patent discloses a motor grader having a mid-located moldboard and a forward-located dozing blade. With this configuration, a motor grader operator could manually complete a rough pass using the dozing blade, followed by an automated final pass using the moldboard.
Although the machine of the '423 patent may have increased functionality provided by two different blades, it may also be problematic. In particular, it may be difficult for an operator to manually control the dozing blade, as visibility of an area in front of the dozing blade from inside of a typical motor grader cabin may be poor.
The disclosed machine system is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.